Skip to main content
HR 515 114th Congress House Crime and Law Enforcement Administrative remedies Crime prevention Crime victims Crimes against children Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation Criminal justice information and records Department of Homeland Security Executive agency funding and structure Foreign aid and international relief Government information and archives Human trafficking International law and treaties International organizations and cooperation Internet and video services Internet, web applications, social media Pornography Sex offenses Travel and tourism Visas and passports

International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders

Introduced: January 22, 2015 Introduced by: Smith, Christopher H. Republican · New Jersey See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
 Everywhere this bill has been 29 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 8, 2016
Became Public Law No: 114-119.
Feb 8, 2016
Signed by President.
Feb 4, 2016
Presented to President.
Feb 1, 2016
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Feb 1, 2016
On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote. (text as House agreed to Senate amendments: CR H387-390)
Feb 1, 2016
Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.(text as House agreed to Senate amendments: CR H387-390)
Feb 1, 2016
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 515.
Feb 1, 2016
Mr. Smith (NJ) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments. (consideration: CR H387-394)
Dec 18, 2015
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Dec 18, 2015
Notwithstanding the passage of H.R. 515, the committee reported title amendment was agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 17, 2015
Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 17, 2015
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 17, 2015
The committee substitute agreed to by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8831-8834; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S8832-8834)
Nov 17, 2015
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 296.
Nov 17, 2015
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
Nov 10, 2015
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Feb 4, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Jan 28, 2015
Received in the Senate.
Jan 27, 2015
ENGROSSMENT CORRECTION - Unanimous consent was granted for the Clerk to make a correction in the engrossment to H.R. 515 in a form placed at the desk.
Jan 26, 2015
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jan 26, 2015
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H542-544)
Jan 26, 2015
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H542-544)
Jan 26, 2015
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 515.
Jan 26, 2015
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H542-546)
Jan 26, 2015
Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Jan 25, 2015
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Discharged.
Jan 23, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Jan 22, 2015
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jan 22, 2015
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on December 17, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders

(Sec. 4) This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish the Angel Watch Center within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center must identify outbound sex offender travelers who failed to provide advanced notice of international travel and provide a list of such individuals to the Marshals Service (USMS) to investigate.

The center may receive notifications of inbound sex offender travel. It must share information with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other government agencies.

The center may also transmit advance notice of sex offender travel to a destination country. It must comply with certain procedures, collect specified data, and establish a process to receive, review, and respond to individual complaints of erroneous notifications.

(Sec. 5) The USMS may receive and transmit notification of international travel by sex offenders. It may also share information about sex offender travel with other government agencies.

This bill requires the USMS to ensure consistent advance notification to destination countries of international travel by registered sex offenders.

The USMS must share certain information with the center, including a list of individuals who provided advanced notice of international travel, a determination of compliance with sex offender registration requirements, and sex offender travel information. It must also establish a process to receive, review, and respond to individual complaints of erroneous notifications.

DOJ must collect specified data related to transmitted notifications.

(Sec. 6) The bill amends the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) to require a registered sex offender to also report information on intended international travel for inclusion in the sex offender registry.

It amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for a sex offender to knowingly fail to provide such information. A violation is subject to a fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both.

(Sec. 7) It expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of State should negotiate reciprocal international agreements to further the purposes of this Act and SORNA.

(Sec. 8) This bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to prohibit the State Department from issuing a passport to a sex offender, unless the passport contains a unique identifier. A "unique identifier" is any visual sex offender designation that is conspicuously affixed to a passport.

(Sec. 9) DHS, DOJ, and the State Department must develop and report jointly to Congress on a process to implement the unique identifier requirement on sex offender passports.

(Sec. 10) The State Department may provide technical assistance to foreign authorities to facilitate effective participation in the notification program established by this Act.

(Sec. 11) The bill authorizes appropriations for FY2017-FY2018.

(Sec. 12) It prohibits construing this Act to limit international information sharing or law enforcement cooperation pursuant to any authority of DOJ, DHS, or any other department or agency.

What's happening now February 8, 2016

Became Public Law No: 114-119.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 4
All 4 Democratic 2 Republican 2